Monday, May 07, 2007

The mention of "Al Jazeera" to my mind would conjure up a news network that broke broadcasting ground by showing material often considered dissenting by the western media.

However Al Jazira in this instance is the name of a rather excellent but not well known beach club only about twenty minutes out of Dubai. The nice thing about it for the cost conscious, is the 75AED entry fee at the weekend - this compares very favourably to other more centrally located beach clubs which charge at least 150AED i.e. the Oasis Beach Club for a weekend entry.

The pool is large and clean with a rather interesting "Tatooine" inspired structure situated in the middle of it:

The beach is nice and wide with a variety of activities on offer. There were several people playing volleyball and those keen on water sports will be pleased with the options available. If you are into wake-boarding you will probably enjoy the long, smooth man made canal that they employ for this. Hidden at the back of the beach is a particularly laid back beach bar which provided a great late night venue for relaxing.

The beach at the Al Jazira:

We celebrated a couple of our friends birthday that night and the catering laid on was great. The lucky few stayed over in one of the splendidly, luxurious bungalows - while the rest of us hopped on a "Mitsubishi" branded bus, replete with curtains, on a fast transit back to Dubai. I am seriously considering signing up for a years membership at only 1800AED.